Real Madrid News
Real Madrid can still sign top Bundesliga defender for €50-60 million despite renewal announcement
After months of speculation over his future in the coming summer, Nico Schlotterbeck has finally decided to renew his contract at Borussia Dortmund.
The German international has penned a fresh deal until 2031, which, in most cases, should be enough to seal his immediate future in Dortmund.
However, things are a bit more nuanced when it comes to Schlotterbeck, who is regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe with the quality to play for any club in the world. This is where things get particularly interesting for Real Madrid, a potential suitor.
Real Madrid can sign Schlotterbeck for €50-60 million
As revealed by Kicker (h/t AS), Schlotterbeck has a special clause embedded in his long-term contract at Dortmund, which can be activated as early as this summer by a select number of clubs.
The value of the release clause has been set at somewhere around €50-60 million, thus leaving the door open for the German to leave Dortmund much earlier than his contract expires in 2031.
The report adds that the renewal is more about helping Dortmund yield a solid sum for Schlotterbeck through his eventual sale, rather than securing a long-term future for the defender.
One would expect Real Madrid to be a part of the list of eligible clubs that can activate the German’s €60 million release clause next summer.
The Spanish giants already harbour an excellent relationship with Borussia Dortmund, with the two clubs having been involved in multiple deals in the recent past, including Jude Bellingham.
The renewal, therefore, is certainly not all that bad for Los Blancos, who may appear as one of the most likely destinations for Schlotterbeck once his patience runs out at Dortmund.
Jose Mourinho is looking for solutions to Real Madrid’s problems, and the extended international break has given him time to analyse the team in depth.
Now, according to Defensa Central, one of the conclusions from his assessment concerns Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler, the players Mourinho believes should be central to the team’s football.
Although they operate in different positions, the manager wants all four to take a step forward on the pitch.
He wants them to push their lines higher and move closer to the opposition penalty area, believing this would help Real Madrid both defensively and offensively.
Mourinho wants to pin opponents inside their own box
Mourinho wants Real Madrid’s play to go through Bellingham, Valverde, Bernardo and Guler, but he has also asked them to start creating attacks much closer to the opposition area and to link up more closely with the forwards.
The idea is to make the team more compact in possession and force opponents deeper into their own half.
If Real Madrid’s midfield can build play much higher up the pitch, opponents will have to retreat. That would allow Mourinho’s side to improve their pressing, make it more effective and increase the volume of attacks.
As a result, Real Madrid should create considerably more opportunities to score.
A compact Real Madrid for 90 minutes
Mourinho wants his team to stay together and remain compact throughout the full 90 minutes, rather than doing so only in short periods.
Defensively, this would reduce the spaces available for opponents to build their attacks and could force them to play more directly, looking to exploit the space behind the defensive line.
That is an area where the pace and defensive ability of Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, can provide protection.
The same compactness could also benefit Real Madrid in attack by keeping opponents pinned back. Mourinho wants to use the quality of his players to create a greater number of dangerous situations.
Mourinho’s idea is that Real Madrid’s most talented players must push the team forward and help them put opponents under pressure much closer to the box.
